Avalaible on Amazon.US and Amazon.UK. as well as all the other iterations of Amazon out there.

This fantasy novel was just released last night on Amazon, and is now available world wide. It definitely has a military slant to it, and I typify it as Military Fantasy, a term I had heard didn’t exist at a DragonCon panel three years ago. Readers who like the Refuge series will love this book. I believe that even the die hard military scifi fans of Exodus will love it. It definitely isn’t fairies and unicorns. The battles are dirty and intense and much like my space opera ground battles, only different.

Now I know that the rabid Exodus fans will be complaining that I’m putting something out that is not Exodus, lol. Sorry, but many more Exodus books will be coming out, probably another at the end of September. And this book, in its original iteration at least, was written many years ago. So, I’ll tell you the story behind this novel.

Back in 2004, or was it 2005, I wrote a fantasy called The Chronical of Connor McMenamin. I showed it to several friends who were big time writers, and was told I wouldn’t have any problem selling it. Well, I sent it out to the three publishers who at the time were accepting unsolicited manuscripts and received form rejections. Unfortunately my friends weren’t aquisition editiors. Book 1 was the first part of a trilogy. When I started self-publishing I decided to not put it out, since I didn’t have time for another series. Fast forward seven years or so, and I decided to revisit the idea, only twenty years earlier in the series and with another cast of characters. And so this book was born, starring Connor’s father, King Rory. I did thorough research on the people of the ancient world, and came up with a jumble of groups and their ancient gods. I noted that most peoples of the ancient world were eventually conquered and absorbed into some other group. I didn’t want this in my world, so I came up with the idea that the Gods protected their own. Wars were possible, fringe lands could change hands, but the core lands were jealously guarded by their deities, who had more power on their home territories than any invaders. The other idea was that gods gained their power from their worshippers. Not a new idea at all, dating back to the days of the pulps, in fact. The third idea was that of the Walking Gods, former deities who had fallen from heaven when they lost most of their worshippers. Super beings, greater than human, with some of the divine in them still. But mortal, capable of dying. The novel came to about ninety-five thousand words. I started self-publishing with other works and never had time to send it out, and again, didn’t want yet another series until I was finished with some that were already out.

I brought a couple of chapters of The Lich’s Horde to a workshop, where it was critiqued and commented on by a big time editor with a major company, as well as a major award winning writer. The editor liked it, but had some problems with the mixed mythology and some of the formatting. Now, I learned to write by reading other writers, and didn’t have all the Chicago Manual of Style rules down. So I bought the manual and started learning. The funny thing is that even following those rules exactly has led to some arguments with other professionals. Go figure. It’s a no-win situation. I went in and changed a lot of the background, cleaning it up. I also talked with a big time agent at the workshop, and thought that I had nailed down someone who had represented a bunch of best selling authors. As soon as I had the novel cleaned up, and brought it to under ninety thousand words, cutting unmercifully at the agent’s recommendation. I finally got it off to her and waited. And waited. Four months after I sent it off I pinged her, and was told that she didn’t have the copy I had sent her. The copy she had acknowledged receipt of when I sent it. I sent her another copy and waited, and waited, and pinged again, three months later. She replied that she had read it several times and just couldn’t get into it. Which meant she would not represent the book. Funny thing about agents. If they don’t love it, they won’t try to sell it. Try doing that in retail and see how long you last.

I had also seen the editor several times over the last eighteen months, and he hadn’t asked about the novel. Even when I mentioned it he didn’t express any interest. At the workshop he had said that he wanted to see it first before any other house. Now, no interest, zilch. So I decided I didn’t want to have to wait the year to year and a half to get this published if I sent it to their slush pile. And possibly receive a rejection letter after waiting a year. I already have a traditionally published book coming out that the publisher and his editor love. I mean love. The editors comments are that she loves this scene, that scene, the other scene. They love it so much so that we are going to do a third book, beyond the two book contract. I have given up on the other publisher, the one I had always dreamed of doing a book for. As another successful independent author friend has said, they know where I am if they want to talk. I no longer have the time or energy to pursue them.

The story? A Death God kills the worshippers of his brother, the Sky God, and gains power. The Sky God falls to earth and becomes a Walking God. The nomads under the control of the Death God go on a campaign to conquer other lands, other peoples, and throw other Gods to Earth. With the power of their evil deity behind them they are able to conquer the cores of other lands and depose their gods. The Walking God travels to the lands of a king who hates his gods for allowing his wife to die in childbirth. The same king, Rory McMenamin, that the last wizards in the Western world are traveling to see to seek refuge. Because divine magic users, read that as priests, hate the idea that someone else, read that wizards, could actually control as muc power as they do.

The setting is not the traditional high fantasy world, where the armor that great great granddad wore in the same as the current characters are using. Things have progressed, and most are at a Renaissance era of technology. The book is full of action, huge battles, pikes and muskets, cannon and knights, verses nomad horsemen and an undead army they have raised from the fallen of the lands they have conquered. I went over it, added in twelve thousand more words (thanks, big time agent, for asking me to shorten it to a point where it didn’t meet my requirements for a published novel.). In reading it, while doing the rewrite, it was like I was reading a new work, and frankly it excited me. So, if you like hard and gritty fantasy, no unicorns or faeries, but definitely some demons and a lot of gross ass zombies, this might be the book to you.

I’m heading to DragonCon tomorrow. This could well be my last one, since the crowds are wearing on me, it’s expensive, and quite frankly the expense is not advancing my career as I had hoped. I can only get a couple of panels a year. I understand. They spend big bucks on big name guests and they have to get them in front of the fans. But two panels is just not enough. I could possibly do two smaller cons next year that would offer more exposure. But I am going this time, and will have after action reports to blog about in the coming month.

Currently the book is listed on Amazon.UK as Low Fantasy. I don’t even know what in the hell that is.

Sorry I haven’t been blogging lately. Just too much to do and not enough energy to do it all. But I need to finish off this series and get back to some writing blogs, along with a report on this year’s Liberty Con. So, here goes.

Balancing rock off of Hwy 313.

The trip was nearing its end. It was Thursday of the second week. Friday I would be driving back to Vegas, then flying home of Saturday. But I still had a lot to see over those last two travel days. Today it was two national parks. I had visited both Arches and Canyonlands in July of 2017. Arches had been partially closed down by road work, and Canyonlands was worth another look, and, more importantly, a filming. It was overcast. So much for coming out to where it doesn’t rain. But I got what the day had to offer, and there was no use complaining about it. So, after breakfast at Denny’s I was off on the first part of the adventure, Looking for some sodas to drink on the drive. I stopped at the Chevron station just north of the Hwy 313, the road going out to Canyonlands.

River flowing through Canyonlands.

There was almost no parking at the Chevron station, which also served as the point of entry to a private land four wheeler area. I finally got one, and bought a brace of diet cokes. I told the clerk a little about my adventures in the Mojave, and she said that the enclosed rides they used were much easier to handle. So maybe someday. Armed with caffeine, I headed back to 313. There is a dinosaur exhibit at the corner of the roads, Moab Giants. It looked interesting, but I only had so much daylight, and I put it down for another time.

View into the canyon at Canyonlands.

313 is a beautiful drive, with lots of cliffs, mesas, balancing rocks, switchbacks, everything you look for out west. Some of the switchbacks were twenty mile an hour roads with steep drop offs. At one point I had someone crowding behind me who wanted to go faster in the steep curve. I wasn’t having any of it, and drove at what I thought was a safe speed. After the switchbacks the terrain flattens out some, though there are still some cool mesas off to the north. I passed the entrance to Dead Horse Point State Park. Cool place, I’ve been there before, and you can read about it on one of my earlier blogs. Today I didn’t have time.

Rains in the Canyon.

I told the ranger at the station that I had called ahead and requested no rain. His flat faced response was that we got what nature gave us. I stopped at the visitor center to look for a book. I found one on Utah Geology and added it to my collection. Outside it had started to drop sparse flakes of snow. As said before in an earlier blog, I’m not afraid of snow. In fact, I really like it, in moderation. What I don’t like is driving in it. I recall sliding out of control on a Tuscaloosa street after a winter storm. Fortunately, I didn’t hit anything. But that feeling of no control was something I really couldn’t stand. Heavy clouds were gathering to the northwest, and I decided I better start moving.

Rock formations in Park Avenue, Arches.

One old guy was testing out his mountain bike, a couple of feet from a cliff. Insane, as it looked like he was barely in control, and that was a long drop off. Unfortunately, he was old enough he had probably already reproduced. I went down the road, stopping at the overlooks, filming and taking pictures. I went down a few of the roads I had missed my first time through, like the one to the Green River Overlook. At one I saw a lady carrying at cat to the viewing point. I yelled out, ‘is that a cat?’ ‘Yes,” she yelled back. ‘He likes the view.’ I guess it takes all kinds, and I hope the poor kitty didn’t jump out of her arms to go over a cliff.

One of the Windows, Arches NP.

At the Green River Overlook I met up with a group of people with Notre Dame regalia. I asked if they went there and received an affirmative. I said ‘maybe someday you’ll beat us.” When they asked who ‘us’ was, I said ‘FSU’, and received a chorus of groans. Man, I have so much fun on these trips.

And arch in the making. Arches NP.

The Grand Canyon is spectacular in a different way here than in the Grand Canyon National Park. The rocks aren’t as colorful, but the canyon is much wider, and two rivers come together to make one. Well worth the trip, but if you had to choose I would say go to the park in Arizona. At the final overlook I saw the worrisome sight of heavy clouds moving my way across the canyon, while the wind gusted. Dark rain was falling, looking for all the world like a cloud burst. I filmed it for a little time until I thought it was time to get to the car. I had no desire to be soaked to the bone in forty some degree temperatures. I sat in the car, which was rocking a bit from the wind gusts, waiting. And the rains never came. I got out to look and saw that it was now heading up the canyon.

A pair of windows. Arches NP.

The day was not the best for video taping or photography, but as the ranger said, we get what nature gives us. Now snowflakes were falling again, and I decided it was time to head out and check out Arches. As I was driving through the park entrance the snow really started coming down. It was sticking and building up on the ground beside the road, but was not sticking on the asphalt yet. The temperature kept dropping, until it was just above freezing, and I was starting to worry that I might have gotten caught in a snowstorm. I made it through the switchbacks, and soon the snow was far behind me. It was time for something to eat, for both myself and the car. I had to drive into Moab, and stopped at the 7-11. I was on my way to Arches.

The Balancing Rock. Arches NP.

It was about three in the afternoon when I pulled up to the entrance of Arches. I asked the ranger if it was snowing up on the plateau, and she replied that no, but it had been snowing at Canyonlands. I told he I had been up there. She looked at my Florida license, said she could understand why that concerned me, and said ‘welcome to Utah.’ Another switchback up to the plateau that held the park, beautiful rock formations, then the first stop, at Park Avenue. The snowcapped mountains in the distance were beautiful. All of the road work was done. I got a good look at the formations of Park Avenue from both the front and the back, then moved on down the road, stopping at most of the pullovers to get shots of the next formations.

Clifs, Arches NP.

I had to stop at Balancing Rock, even though I had gone over it fairly well on my last trip. A balancing rock is a formation where erosion has eaten away most of the top layer, leaving a single boulder that is still on top of the column of the lower layer. They are not permanent. I’m not sure how long they last. A thousand years? A hundred thousand? A million? There had been small balancing formation here that was the little buddy of Balancing Rock, but one winter it just fell. Next I headed out the The Windows, the pair of holes through the rock wall that I had photographed from a distance. Turns out there are more than the two. I saw a third nearby, and there was a triple arch in that formation. Not only are there a lot of arches down this way, but also a lot of places where the erosion was eating a hole in the cliff, the homes of future arches. I think I saw the most down in that region. It’s said there are over two thousands arches in the park. If so, they need to take more of them out of storage. I think I saw about twenty at most.

Small hole. Arches NP.

I went down to the end of the main road, spotting a couple of more arches and windows. While this park was one of the more accessible ones I had visited, a lot of the arches still required hiking to see. I saw what I could, and by that time the sun was starting to get low in the sky. I headed back, and then the bicycles came. I understand that people like to bike, but a pair of the things, on a stretch with a forty mile an hour speed limit, holding up a dozen cars, was a little much. We finally all got our break though, and I was able to get around them. From there it was back to the motel, just as the sun was setting. Tomorrow was the last big day of exploration. I would be driving across Utah and back to Vegas, and there was a lot of stuff to amaze me along the way.

The next day it was still overcast. I had been to this part of the country in mid-February of 2017, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The air was so clear you could see for thirty miles. In July of 2017 I could see small rains in the distance. This trip was the first time I had seen the sky totally overcast, and I wasn’t digging it. But, as a Park Ranger said to me later in the trip, nature gives you what it gives you. So I was off to the Grand Canyon National Park, driving down Hwy 89. Once again beautiful mountains and views, some spectacular cuts and overviews, a great drive. This was Navajo country, and I was starting to notice quite a few falling apart trailers and just about done roadside stands. My first trip to the Grand Canyon hadn’t seen me go up this way, so this was new territory.

The edge of the Painted Desert.

From past blogs people might remember I had wanted to see the Painted Desert. I had found a swatch of it on the north end of Petrified Forest National Park, but I wanted to drive through it. I noticed that as I got to the turn off to Tuba City the colors of the formations were looking a lot like the Painted Desert. I was going to drive toward Tuba City later in the day, so it was looking like I was about to hit the jackpot. I stopped at the Cameron Trading Post just past the bridge over the Little Colorado River. I bought a couple of cokes and a handmade Dreamcatcher. Not really anything I needed, but I liked what I saw. They wrapped it well and I was on my way. If you get this way I can recommmend this trading post, which is really a well stocked first class gift shop.

The Watchtower on the east end of Grand Canyon National Park.

There is now a roundabout at the junction of Hwys 89 and 64 (the road into the park). I thought they were interesting when I was in Europe. I hate the damn things in our country. There were a couple of wrecked cars and a covering of broken glass in this roundabout, along with the usual emergency vehicles. If I had wanted to go to Flagstaff there would have been a delay, but the way to the park was open. I was looking forward to taping the way in to the park. There are fantastic mountains, stretches of forest, and views of the Little Colorado River gorge. More on that later.

The Colorado River, running through the center of the Grand Canyon.

It was still overcast, and I was climbing in elevation into the park, reaching over seven thousand feet. It was looking like the view into the canyon was not going to be good. I asked the ranger at the fee station and she said that it had been socked in by clouds the day before, but in the late morning they had faded and left a great view. I was hoping for the same.

Viewpoint of the Grand Canyon.

The first stop was Desert View and the Watchtower. The clouds were really covering up the canyon, and I was beginning to think this was a wasted trip. When I got down to the edge I was surprised to see that the clouds had dissipated enough to offer a good view. Not great, but good enough to see the canyon in its glory, if not all of it. The desert view, miles and miles to the east, wasn’t very good. I guess you can’t have everything, and I had taken shots of that view in clear weather on the last trip. The Desert View Station has just about everything the main visitors’ center at the other end of the park has. Coffee shop, gift shop and restaurant. It wasn’t time to eat yet, but it was very cold outside, so I got a coffee before heading to the next stop. So far both the walking pole and the selfie stick I was using had proven their worth. I will have links to their sales pages at the end of this blog. I’m getting nothing for plugging them, but if I find something of great use, I want to trumpet their worth.

Grand Canyon viewpoint.

If you have never been to the Grand Canyon before, go. I really can’t say this enough. The pictures are great. It even looks awesome on an ultra-high definition wide screen TV. But until you actually stand there, looking out over miles of rock layers that were laid down in shallow seas over billions of years, you really don’t understand. So go, before you leave this Earth.

Woods at the top of the canyon.

I stopped at all of the viewpoints up to and including Grandview Point, the last before getting into the congestion of the visitor’s center. There were a lot of people out, even on a cold day. Some Chinese girls were playing a little too close to the cliff edge for my comfort, but otherwise everyone seemed to be taking it safe. At one viewpoint there was a score of so backpackers getting ready to head down the trail to the river. I was able to get some very good shots, talked to a bunch of people, and generally enjoyed myself, despite the weather.

Looking into the Little Colorado River Gorge.

I talked with one man with Georgia plates, thinking he might have driven here from my neck of the woods. Nope. He was a photographer who had rented the car in Vegas. I asked a guy in a car with Florida tags, family in tow, if he had driven from Florida. He said yes, and he came from a place I had probably never heard of called Wauchula. I let him know that my dad had grown up in that town. The guy was a sheriff’s deputy who had just retired, while his son had graduated early and was college bound. So he had gathered up the whole family and made the trip of a lifetime.

Amazing formmations of the Little Colorado Gorge.

On the way out of the park I stopped to take some shots of the Little Colorado River Gorge in the distance, and a family stopped with me to do the same. Probably thinking that if I did it then it was okay. Or if not, we would share in the guilt. I stopped next at the Navajo Park overlooking the gorge and they did the same. Talking with the dad, while his wife and daughters went shopping at the Navajo shopping stalls, I learned that his daughters had been playing too close to the edge at the canyon, something which had nearly caused him a heart attack. The Little Colorado Gorge is spectacular. Not near as wide as the one carved by the Colorado, probably less than a hundred yards across at the wide point, but with sheer walls dropping down to the small river at the bottom. A young woman was walking her dog, and the beast was pulling her toward the edge. She was having trouble controlling it until her boyfriend came along. There was a railing, but in some places it would be easy to go under without a problem, and it was a long drop.

I guess arachnds have now been moved to the reptilian order.

I stopped at the Burger King at the junction of 89 and 64, getting myself and my car filled up. Talking with the young Navajo man behind the counter, I asked about the Painted Desert. He asked me which way I was heading (Tuba city to Monument Valley) and he told me I had a spectacular drive ahead. Excited about the trip, I headed north, into the little section of the Painted Desert I had driven through that morning, and turned east onto US 160. The drive was spectacular, with vistas of multicolored pastel cliff faces all the way into Tuba City. I took lots of video and stills. That night, looking them over, I was a little bit disappointed that the colors didn’t come out the way I had remembered them. Another example of having to be there.

The Painted Desert.

From Tuba City I continued northwest on 160, then turned onto 163 north to Oljato-Monument Valley. Soon I was at Goulding’s Lodge, checking in, and signing up for a tour the next day. I had been planning to take a morning tour, then get on the road north right after, but the first tour that I wanted was at 1, so I needed to change my itinerary a bit. There was some confusion in finding the apartment I had booked, but I finally found it, got all of my stuff upstairs, and headed out to look over the Goulding’s land a bit. This included a small University outpost and an RV park. The apartment was cool, with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, really more than I needed. But when I had booked it the apartment was cheaper than the regular rooms. It would be perfect for two couples, or a pair of platonic friends, who wanted to spend a couple days out here. And after dinner I went to the theater to watch John Wayne in She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, which featured many of the monuments in the valley. Afterwards it was back to the apartment to sleep the sleep of the exhausted.

Next up: Monument Valley and the Night From Hell.

The Alaska Life Selfie Stick: I love this thing. It locks in place and doesn’t budge, holding the camera perfectly steady. And I think you could knock out a bear with it.

Brown Mountain Trekking Poles: They come as a set of two, and I only use one. Much more handy than a regular cane, I use one in town. Quick release allows you to collapse and expand it in seconds. A very sturdy, well made set of poles.

I woke to my cell phone alarm and started to get myself ready for the day. Then, putting on my watch, I noticed that the time did not agree with the phone. A quick google search revealed that I had forgotten completely about Daylight Savings Time. Not a real problem, though I had gotten an hour’s less sleep than I had planned. I didn’t really have any plans for the day other than getting to Page, Arizona and catching as much of the Grand Staircase Escalante as I could. A Cuban-American friend had noted that Escalante meant staircase, so the name was kind of redundant. I had noted that they wanted their American visitors, not all of whom spoke Spanish, to understand the name. Anyway, there was no drive through except the one to Bryce, and I wasn’t going that way. So I would have to hope I got a good view of something along the way. I wasn’t disappointed.

An escarpment in the Grand Staircase. I would love to wake up to this every day.

Another breakfast at Porter’s. They had a special this day, two pork chops on a breakfast platter with eggs and sourdough biscuit. Yum. After breakfast it was back up Hwy 9 and the High Road, headed for Mt. Carmel Junction. I had gone there on the last trip, turning north on US 89 to head to Bryce. This time I would be heading south. Unfortunately, it was raining this day, and most of my video features windshield wipers going back and forth. Couldn’t be helped, and I still got some good footage. I stopped off at the huge convenience store at the Junction to get a couple of sodas, and then headed off toward Kanab.

Rock formation in the Grand Staircase Escalante Monunment.

There were some great vistas of the National Monument to my left as I drove, and rolling hills desert leading to the Grand Canyon Escarpment to my right. I was able to get some video, but unfortunately there were not enough pulloffs, and I had to make creative use of the shoulder to get some stills. The problem was, the Akaso, while getting great shots to the front and near sides, missed the views into the canyons, the shots that were so spectacular. Still, I got a good view of some of it. Being a National Monument, there were no paved roads piercing the center, nor were there any plans for putting any in. They want to keep the area as primitive and natural as possible, and I can’t blame them. Next time I may come this way with a four wheel drive and go down some of the dirt roads that penetrate the monument. I had wanted to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon this trip, but it was closed until May. As I found out on this trip, there was still a lot of snow up in the higher altitudes, and the North Rim was much higher than the south.

Best Friend’s Animal Rescue visitor center.

North of Kanab I ran into a surprise. I had been told in Springdale that Good Friends Animal Rescue had a facility in Kanab, but I had figured they meant within the town. Now, miles from the city, I saw the sign. I pulled in to the visitor center and was disappointed to find out that they wouldn’t have a tour for another three hours. I didn’t have that kind of time, but took them up on the invitation to drive through the canyon myself. It was a huge property in a beautiful rocky canyon. They had horse pastures where they took care of the equines, including one I saw that was blind. There was a large animal graveyard, and cabins for dogs and cats. I was impressed. I donate to this organization, and it did my heart good to see the care they were giving to abused and abandoned animals. Kanab itself was not such a big deal, another small town, though much larger than most I had driven through on this trip.

Formations rising out of Lake Powell.

From Kanab I continued along US 89, and more miles of beautiful scenery, until I came to Lake Powell. Now I was in Arizona, which didn’t use Daylight Saving’s Time, so I regained my lost hour, for now. The large lake is formed by the back flow of the Colorado River from the Glen Canyon Dam. It’s a very large lake, and I only got to see a little of it. I went into the National Recreation Area and took some shots of the mesas that were sticking out of the water. Lake Powell is the first of the four lakes that have been formed by damming the Colorado River, and looks to be in good shape, with water up to the banks. There were many boats out on the lake, and many more in the storage buildings along its banks. From there I drove to the dam.

The Colorado River Gorge west of Lake Powell.

Bridge over the Colorado River Gorge.

A bridge spans the gorge a little bit out from the dam. To my left was the dam. I had seen on the way to the bridge that the water was about ten feet below the top of the dam. Now on the bridge I looked to the right, and felt my heart skip a beat. The narrow gorge seemed to plunge down a thousand feet to the river. I really had no way of telling the distance, but it was enough to evoke a feeling of vertigo. I continued on to a pull off and got a good look at the dam and the gorge, taking pictures. A little further up the road there was a sign pointing the way to the scenic overlook. I went that way and got an even better look at the gorge. Afterwards I went to McDonald’s for lunch, then a resupply run to Walmart. Then it was to La Quinta to check in. I took a nap, then went to Denny’s for dinner. I went to sleep that night, looking forward to the Grand Canyon National Park the next day, hoping for good weather.

I had bought a behind the scenes tour with Lion Habitat Ranch a month before the trip. They had sent an appeal for a donation. Now, I support a number of big cat rescues, as well as some little feline organizations. I will list some of them at the end of this blog with links. I could have sent them a check, but then I found out they were in Henderson, right outside of Las Vegas. And they had a private tour listed. So I signed up for the tour and to feed a lion. Which would get money in their hands and let me do something new. I had also planned to drive to Kingman in Arizona and film the way back, the way I had come into Las Vegas the first time. Unfortunately, I had a computer to shop for, so plans changed.

My first look at a male Barbary lion.

Waking up too early to get breakfast at the Bonnie Springs Restaurant, I ate at a McDonald’s in Vegas on the way. Pulling up at the Habitat I took some stills. I didn’t feel like trying to get video. I don’t know, I just didn’t want the hassle of asking and being refused. A news truck came by, passed, and then returned, to enter the gate just ahead of me. I met the lion keeper, and was told that a local news channel would be filming the first part of the tour. I asked how they knew a famous author like myself had come out here this day. So, we started in and saw the most dangerous animals on the habitat. The velociraptors, I mean, the ostriches. The keeper told me that they had to take special precautions with the ostriches, who would kick you to death in a heartbeat. They also had emus and a bunch of tropical birds scattered about. And then we were at the first lion habitat.

Male Barbary lion being fed by the Head Keeper.

I think the lion’s name was Bennie, though it could have been Benji, since they had both and they were brothers. He was a six hundred pound Barbary lion, a subspecies that no longer existed in the wild. They had several of both males and females, so I guess the breed is still alive for now. We went around looking at the cats. In one enclosure they had three elderly females, and a film playing on a TV of the wife of the habitat owner playing with them when they were cubs. The keeper fed the lions as we went along, giving them ground meat through the fence. All of the cats are hand fed, six days a week. It was explained that a fast day was good for them, and all except the elderly cats went without one day a week. We were also warned that the males will spray. While looking at one large cat he turned and lifted his tail. We had the choice of right or left, or straight back. And since the wall was less than fifteen feet away, the effective range of the lion, we all went right. When he saw us go he lost interest and trotted off.

I think this was one of the MGM lions.

The enclosures are all large, and they try to have several lions in each one, unless one is a wanabe alpha male, then they separate them. Each enclosure has a rolling cage that the lions can go in if a keeper needs to clean the enclosure, a daily task, and the cages can be rolled over to the heated inside washing station. The cats were all obviously very well cared for and I was suitably impressed by the operation. I saw several more of the Barbary lions, and the closest living relative of the MGM lion who roars at the beginning of their movies. It turns out that the MGM hotel in Vegas had those lions for quite some time, then gave them to the habitat.

Young giraffe looking down at me from its height.

They also have a young giraffe. I was allowed to feed it as well. Such a gentle herbivore, it could bow on command, and had a car wash brush on a pole to rub against. It delicately took vegetables and favorite cookies from my hand. I really hadn’t expected to feed this animal, and it was an extra treat.

Feeding a male Barbary lion.

Then it was time for the lion feeding. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had thought ahead of time that they might lead me into an enclosure with one of their milder beasts. I guess they thought this thing out more than I had. They put up a plastic barrier and I fed the lion through a hole with a wooden mortar. That really did make sense. These things are large predators, and they have been known to hook a claw into someone. And putting fingers near their mouths was not recommended. The keepers do it, but they are trained and know how to spot the body language signals of the lions. I fed the second of the Barbary Lion brothers, who licked it up, not missing a bit.

Don’t want to forget the girls.

As said, I was impressed by their operation, and will be making regular donations to them. There are so many rescues out there that are deserving, and I will continue to help the ones out I have already donated to. But this one, with the Barbary and MGM lions, seemed like a special cause to me. Plus, I had met these animals, which always makes them seem more real. So I will be doing what I can to help them out, and would appeal to anyone with a heart for animals, especially big cats, to do the same.

Sign at the back entrance of the Pioneer Saloon.

Then it was on to Goodsprings. I had a coupon they sent me, and wanted to see the inside of the saloon, after finding out some more about it from a, you guessed it, a Wonderhussy video. So it was onto I-15 South to get off at the Jean exit. I filmed this trip, and will be posting it on Youtube in the future. First I drove the road to Sandy Valley, a small community out in the middle of nowhere, but with some spectacular mountain scenery on the way. Then into Goodsprings. I had planned to eat in the saloon, but it was too crowded, so it was back to the all day restaurant I had eaten at twice before. I saw and talked with Johnny Utah, a young man from that state I had met there my first time through. After a good meal and some picture taking it was off to Best Buy to get a new computer.

The Carol Lombard and Clark Gable Memorial Room in the Pioneer Saloon. Gable sat in this room, drinking, while waiting to hear the fate of his wife, who had died in an airplane crash out in the desert.

Vegas has a lot of electronics stores. But Best Buy was the only one they had which I knew would also be in Tally. I wanted a machine that could be returned to them if something went screwy with it within the warranty period (unlike the last one, which died outside warranty, the bastard). I was hoping to buy a cheap notebook with a large (at least 1 TB) hard drive. No such luck, and this was just as expensive as the last. But I had it in hand, even if just to look over and save each day’s video take.

Mountains in Red Rock Canyon.

The last thing on the revised menu was Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. This is a fee area, and part of the Department of the Interior. Fortunately, my National Park Pass got me in without any additional fee. I had been here before, on my first trip out west, on the day I flew back to Tally on a redeye. It was really crowded then. Still a number of people this time, on a Tuesday afternoon, but not near as crowded. The first time I had seen the place I had thought it was small, having been fooled by the way the desert air made everything seem closer. This time I knew better, and even more importantly, I knew where the restrooms were. The place is very large, big enough to swallow a moderately sized city like Tallahassee. The rock formations here are spectacular, and can be separated into several different areas of the mountains that box in this natural wonder. They continue on outside of the conservation area to backdrop the Bonnie Springs Ranch Motel. I think this is the prettiest part of the Las Vegas area, with Joshua Trees (though the ones in the conservation area seemed to have met with some kind of killer plague), cactus and roving wild horses and donkeys.

The horror of the Chollo cactus. Avoid these vegetable demons at all costs.

I pulled back into Bonnie Springs after Red Rock Canyon and went to the zoo. I had promised myself I would go there, and since I had some time, it was now. I noticed there were a lot of Cholla cactus in the nearby desert, something I had not noted before, and I was glad I hadn’t wandered out there before I knew about the horror of the desert. Called jumping cactus, they drop sections, and have a barbed thorn that will stick in your skin. People try to pry them out, only to get another set of barbs caught in their hands. They are also a terror to animals. My solution would be to kill them with fire, but then I don’t know the environmental regulations out there.

The Serville cat at the Bonnie Springs Zoo.

My room key got me into the zoo for free. It wasn’t very large, but was well attended by children and parents, and the gentler herbivores, like some of the goats and deer, were roaming free to get pets and food. There were a pair of wolves, a serval cat, and several emus. The people who started the motel and ranch had taken in animals that were no longer wanted, and the zoo began. I have donated to it (it is a nonprofit) both times I’ve been out there.

It was a great second day, and after I ate and reviewed my film I slept the sleep of the exhausted. The next day was the last that I actually had to get up at a certain time. Burgers and Bullets, which included four wheeling in the desert and shooting some automatic weapons. Little did I know what was in store for me.

Links to donate to animal rescues. There are many more, but these are some of the ones that I support. All are worthy of support by people who love big cats and other predators.

The Lion Habitat Ranch. I really like this one because of the kind of cats they keep. Lions are cool, and Barbary lions even cooler. And they have the descendent of the MGM lions.

Tiger Creek. The first big cat rescue I ever gave to, and one still close to my heart.

Monday, March 5th, and I was scheduled to meet with Wonderhussy to see parts of the desert I hadn’t dreamed of. I had always been restricted to the paved roads by the rental cars I drive, but there is so much else to see. Of course, if someone like myself had gone down random dirt roads I would probably get stuck in an area with no cell coverage. Someone, someday, might find my bleached bones.

Wonderhussy is the online name of Sarah Jane Woodall, a Las Vegas based model who spends her free time trekking to interesting places and filming them, posting them on Youtube. I was looking over videos of places I had been, the National Parks, the Mojave, and had come across a video she had done about hiking up to a cabin in a side canyon of Death Valley. I followed the links to other videos, until over a couple of months I must have watched a hundred of them. I really don’t know how many she has posted, but it must be near two hundred. She even has a video explaining why she uses the moniker Wonderhussy. Informative, humorous, with beautiful scenery, her videos are now among my favorites on Youtube. She wonders what happened to the people who used to live in the cabins and makes up some wonderful stories about what might have happened (hence the Wonder part of her name). And she also runs a guide service. Since I was heading out there anyway, and was already spending a bundle, I thought it might be cool to let someone with knowledge of the desert show me some of the sites. And meet someone who does a great deal of videos, as I was planning to enter the Youtube vid game.

Inside electronics room of the abandoned concrete factory.

Sarah Jane showed up at my hotel about 11 AM with her four-wheel drive lift package Toyota. I had eaten a good breakfast at the Bonnie Springs restaurant, had my cameras, still and video, in hand, and was ready to go. I had planned to film on the Akaso, but for some reason never got around to it, though I did get some great stills. I was too busy talking with Sarah Jane about a variety of topics. Not just learning from her, but also telling her of my own adventures in the east. We talked mental health, religion, science, and of course self-publishing. A totally enjoyable trip with someone who enjoys discovering new things. She was just as attractive and personable as her online persona.

Part of the kiln at the abandoned concrete factory.

We proceeded to the area north of Vegas, off of I-15, until we reached an abandoned concrete factory. I had seen this one in a video she had done, but walking it for real was somewhat different. More real. Not quite to the extent of the Grand Canyon, but actually being there made it real. We explored the outside, as well as the inside of one of the control rooms. It was amazing that so much machinery had just been abandoned. So much investment. In Florida it would be scarfed up and bulldozed under in no time. Or maybe it would have rusted into nothing. Here, it just sat out there in the emptiness, preserved by the dry climate and baking in the sun. There was the inevitable new trash scattered around, particularly empty boxes of rounds and some old shotgun shells. What is it about people wanting to spread their trash everywhere? The site also had some graffiti, and Sarah thought it might have been used in some films. We proceeded from there to a nearby town to get a couple of cold sodas.

One of the abandoned cabins near the Virgin River, with a Tamarisk tree to the side.

Next it was to what must have been a series of cabins that had been used before the interstate had been built. A roadside hotel? The interstate had killed them, just like I-40 had killed so much of Route 66. Sad. These were much like the cabins she visits in her videos, filled with lots of items like old magazines and newspapers that were well preserved in the desert environment. There were Tamarisk trees in the area, and the Virgin River flowed in the background. I heard that haunting whispering sound of the wind through the trees, reminding me of the Australian Pines of home. I looked over the leaves and was surprised to see that they were the same as the Australian Pines. Maybe not the same species, but definitely the same order. Sarah Jane related a story of being chased off this site by a man screaming about trespassing. To me the sound of the wind through those trees evoked relaxation and a sense of being home. To her it brought on memories of the guy screaming at her and chasing her from the property. This shows how the experience changes the reaction to the same stimulus. Okay, enough psychobabble for now.

Mountains in the distance.

The next part of the trip, and the longest, was up into the mountains. Sarah Jane was exploring herself this time, going places where she hadn’t been. We were going into the back country, where the Bundy’s and their supporters lived, where many old-style Mormon families stayed off the grid and possibly off the government net. Dirt roads climbing through the mountains, overlooking vast expanses of valleys. At one point we saw signs stating we were in the Grand Canyon. We crossed over into Arizona for part of the journey.

Rock formation with my guide in the foreground.

At one point near the start Sarah Jane spotted some pipes and backed up to take a short upward trail. I have to hand it to her. I’m a very observant person and I didn’t see anything of note. We went into a small canyon and found a wall of concrete blocks, looking for all the world like a dam. There were other artifacts out in the desert in some sandstone formations. I later found out that this place was called the Cistern, and was a project from the depression built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Just one of the many hidden treasures out here in the wilderness, which includes abandoned cabins, old mines, ghost towns. You can see a lot of these on Wonderhussy’s videos, and I’m sure she’ll have more in the future.

More cool rock formations, with my cool guide getting a closer look.

We spent the rest of the afternoon climbing a mostly well-maintained dirt road around a mountain, then down. There were some dips that would have killed my rental car, and I was more than happy that we were in her truck. There were some stops to see some of the scenery from high vantages, but mostly it was driving by the many ranches and small cabins that dotted the wilderness. Really some beautiful country, terrific rock formations for this geology aficionado, spectacular drop-offs. Sarah Jane moved her four-wheel drive expertly over the road. To tell the truth, I would have been terrified to be driving up there, but I had total confidence in the professional. Unfortunately, I only brought a couple of candy bars, and when that feeling of low blood sugar hit that’s all I had. So, I ate them and didn’t take my medicine or insulin, really only the safe way to manage it at that point. I probably should have said something, but I was so into the trip that I didn’t want to spoil the moment. We passed some grazing cows (on what, I’m not sure) then some horses, and then we were in Mesquite. She delivered me to my hotel at just a few minutes over eight hours into the trip. Perfect.

More cool formations along the way.

It was an eye opener, seeing the wilderness like that, and well worth the cost. I can recommend Wonderhussy Adventures for anyone who wants to explore off the beaten path.

The majestic desolation of the desert.

If only the rest of the night had gone so well. I tried to get on my computer to look up the address of the Lion Habitat Ranch, and the damn thing refused to boot up. I kept getting a screen that said my hard drive had failed, and to contact Dell support. Kind of hard to do when the hard drive won’t boot up. The next day I was shopping for another computer at Best Buy. If I had been at home I would have seen about having the notebook repaired. On the road? I could only take one computer back, so this one was trash.

Next: Lion Habitat Ranch in Henderson.

And be sure to check out Wonderhussy Adventures on Youtube. If you’re interested in Americana and history, her channel is a great source. She explores ghost towns, old mines, abandoned cabins, and hotels/restaurants/attractions that have been put out of business by the changing transportation patterns. She fearlessly goes to these places, so you don’t have to. Like and subscribe, and if you’re looking for a local guide for the Mojave, I highly recommend her.

The Third Trip Out West. Part 1: A Serial Blog. Along with Part 2: Doing What We Do Best.

As I have blogged before, I went to the great American Southwest the first time in February of 2017. There was supposed to be a collaboration on a series going down, and the publisher had arranged for us to meet in Tucson, where the other author lived. He dropped out, and it was decided that since we all had tickets to there, and booked hotels, that we would go ahead and meet. I wanted to see some of the Southwest, so I bought a return ticket from Las Vegas and rented a car. While in Tucson I went to Saguaro National Park East, saw the aircraft graveyard, and took in a couple of other sites, and after the meeting was over headed up north to Flagstaff. The next day I was at Meteor Crater, then over to the Grand Canyon. Never been to the Grand Canyon? Go. Until you’ve actually stood there and took it in it just doesn’t seem real. I ended the day in Kingman, Arizona, and headed up the next to see the Hoover Dam and Goodsprings, home of Fallout New Vegas, with a side trip into the Mojave National Preserve. The last day I went to Valley of Fire State Park and Red Rock Canyon National Preserve. I loved it out there, feeling right at home. It was cold, below freezing in Flagstaff, but still dry enough to suck the moisture right out of you, but I could breathe again.

Because of an error with the rental car company, I was upgraded to the same car I drive at home. Even the same color, but two years newer.

I loved it out there, as said, but the trip was too short. I had an idea for a post-apocalyptic series. One of the highlighted areas would be the mountain north of Flagstaff. I needed some more areas, and that meant I needed to do more research. So this time it was a ten day trip starting in Las Vegas, in July. Again the Mojave, discovering Bonnie Springs Motel in the Red Rock Canyon area, then over to Death Valley. Death Valley, at least as far down as I went, got up to 125 degrees. I flew into the Grand Canyon by helicopter, expensive but worth it. From there I went to Zion National Park, then swung up to his Bryce, Capital Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. I went down through Monument Valley, missing the best part of it, and then hitting the Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. Finally over to Flagstaff to see Sunset Crater, then into California (Needles, hellishly hot) and to the Mojave, then back home.

Horsey Love at Bonnie Springs Ranch.

I got the idea for the next trip while watching videos of the region, especially the wonderful short travelogues of Wonderhussy. She is a young woman who lives in Vegas and travels the desert, finding all kinds of cool places. I found other videos, national parks, state parks, wilderness areas, and formulated my next plan. This time it would be fourteen days. And I would videotape it on the Akaso cameras I had bought. I would hit some of the same places, but spend more time at them, and would do some different things as well. I pre-booked all of my hotel stays, some places I had stayed before, a couple of very unique hotels, and rented the most economical car I could get. And came out of that desert region with even more of an appreciation for it.

I met some interesting people, had some great experiences, was terrified on at least three occasions, and almost met with disaster on my last day. So, for the sixteen or so episodes of this blog I will be giving an account on my trip. There will be times when I have to concentrate on other aspects of my career, but I hope to do at least one blog a week on this trip. I will have links to many of the places, and as I put my videos online at Youtube I will come back and link to them on the appropriate blog entry. Hopefully many of my readers will come along for the journey, and invite some friends. And I may gain support for some of the worthy people and places I found.

The Third Trip Out West. Part 2: Doing What We Do Best.

On Sunday, March 4th I woke way too early after not enough sleep to fly out of Tallahassee. I’m always anxious before a flight. Not from any fear of flying. No, it’s fear of sleeping through the alarm and missing it. So I was off, to little Tallahassee International Airport. Yeah, the international airport with four gates. And this time I was frisked by TSA, a first. They even swabbed my hands down to see if I had any explosive residue on my hands. I kind of expected that at a larger airport, but it happened to me in Tallahassee. So it was onto the aircraft for the first part of the flight, to Charlotte.

I normally fly Delta when I can. Delta has TV screens at each chair, free internet, music. This time I got American through Expedia. How was American? Well, next time I will fly Delta. Delta goes to Atlanta, while American goes to Charlotte. The first leg was not bad, since it was only about an hour. We got out of the airplane by rolling stairs on the runway, because Charlotte was under renovation, and there were not enough gates. It was a large airport with no tram between terminals. Many of the shops and even some of the bathrooms were closed. At least they had the moving sidewalk thingies in places. I always feel like airports are trying to kill me by making me hurry over long distances so I can get on a plane to cover longer distances quickly.

A quartet of Peacocks having a conference.

The second flight was horrible. Four hours in uncomfortable seats. Even with the increased legroom I had purchased, my ass was numb halfway through the trip. No entertainment, the people on either side didn’t want to talk, and the guy with the window seat insisted on keeping the window panels down. So no view of the Grand Canyon on this flight. Finally the endlessly uncomfortable and boring flight was over, and I was in Vegas. The long trip to baggage claim, the endless voyage to the rental car terminal, and I was finally on my own. The strange thing about McCarran International Airport is the location of the rental car center. You have to take a bus that seems to take forever to reach it. All of the companies are there. I had ordered a really cheap car but Budget happened to be out of them, so I was given a grey Kia Soul with the total electronic package. The same car I own, only two years newer. I was thinking that this trip was going to be really cool.

An oasis in the desert, the duck pond at the Bonnie Springs Restaurant makes for a relaxing breakfast view.

A quick stop at Walmart to pick up a fan, an ice chest and some water, and I was off to Bonnie Springs Ranch Motel. Bonnie Springs is in the Red Rock Canyon region, just out from the village of Blue Diamond, with the mountains of the canyon backdropping it. There is a small zoo, and restaurant, a western attraction and riding stables there as well as the hotel. There are flocks of peacocks roaming the grounds with their haunting calls, and the Mojave surrounds it. I couldn’t locate it on my new GPS, but I knew the general direction, and was already on Blue Diamond Rd. The mountains in the background were my beacon, and since I remembered the turnoff from the last trip, it was no problem. Soon I was through the entrance and on the way, Joshua tree desert on both sides. My favorite part of the property is the restaurant, which also has a bar. It looks out over the pond fed by the springs that gives the place its name. Ducks swim through the day, and turtles come out to sun. The last time I was here, in the summer, the turtles were out all day. It was cold at night, so they were nowhere to be found, sleeping under the water. Still, the ducks were out, the wait staff, a woman named Heather, was friendly, and the food was good. They had a fire going in the pit, and it was a very comfortable place to spend a cold night. I got in touch with Wonderhussy, letting her know I was there, and viewed the first of the videos I had taken, from Vegas to Bonnie Springs. And so the first day ended.